The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-01-13
tFrom the Philadelphia rimes.)

ton detectives that they have captured :
and fastened the evidence upon five men, ,
who were concerned in the robbery of I
the dams Express car on the ST. Louis
and San Francisco Railroad on the night :
of October %, thirty-siX miles from st. {
Louis. The most important clue was
obtainablc through the "Jim Cum
mings" letters to st. Louis paper which
were written by Fred Witrock, who, !
with man named Weaver, both engaged ]
i'll business in Chicago, wcro the princi-
pals in the affair. \ portion of tho
100000 stolen was recovered from the
five men, from Witrock'S wife and from
an Innocent stranger, who had in good
faith undertaken to hold 1900 for
Witrock. The detectives refuse to say
whether Express Messenger Frothing-
ham was concerned i'll the crime.
HOW II WAS DONE.
Tonight tho Pinkerton detective
officials revealed the facts Of the arrest |
OF five men for the robbery of the |
Adams Express cur Of 500, 900 on the ST. |
Louis and San Francisco Railroad on the
night of October 25. Tie men under
arrest are Frederick Witrock who is the
author of the "Jim Cummings" letters,
and is claimed to be tho man who per
petrated the robbery; w. w. IInight, on
cX-employee Of Express Company, who
is supposed to have aided in planning
the robbery from his knowledge of the
railroad 'run;" Thomas Weaver,
Chicago lundryman, who was with
Witrock before and after the robbery;
Edward Kinney, Drothrr-in-lnw OF
considerable portion Of the express
money, and Oscar Cook, WHO hid Wit
rock after the robbery, and divided the
money and mailed the Jim Cummings
letters The detectives have turned up
about $4,000 and estimate that from
$4,000 to SD, 90 is still unaccountcd for.
The detectives hit on no clue to the
robbers until the Jim Cummings" let
ter WAS addressed to the ST. Louis Globe
Democrat, and upon this they detected
tn" criminals. First they started to find
ali the peopl" who had left the service
of the Express Company during the
year and found W. W. llaight, who had
been discharged for theft and who had
been messenger between St. Louis and
Ninita, Indian Territory, the same run
upon which was nmpluycd Frothinshnm,
the messenger i'll charge Of tho pluudcr-
ed car Haight worked in Chicago for
Witrock, who kept conl ynrd hut left
the city on October 81, saying that he
was going to Florida. He had been very
poor, but suddenly exhibited plenty Of
money.
The next step WAS the discovery that
Witrock and Weaver left this city ON
October II, well armed and equipped
for hunting, which they snid was thcir
object Ill Arkansas, whittier they were
going. Weaver returned to Chicago
October -, and after the robbery uc-
CURED the Cummings letter to the Globe
Democrat was received and stated that
he had gone to point on the Missouri
river, opposite Labadic and noatcd
down in II skin. At st. Churlcs the dc.
tcctivCs found that the two men answer
ing the description OF Witrock and
Weaver had bought Skiff on October
III, but had gone up the river.
USING THE MICROSCOPE.
From this point the search reverted to
the bundle which "Jim Cummings" said
in his letter he had left mt the Union
Depot, st. Louis, and in it were Ciscov-
cred some printed ballads, on one OF
which WAS the address 2l0S Chestnut
street, but SO faint aa TO be only dis
ccrnlblc under the microscope. This
was boarding house in st. Louis kept
by Mrs. Berry, who remembered that
men resembling Wiruck and Weaver
had come to her house ON October Is,
and Weaver left on October 32, saying
he was going to Kansas City, Witrock
ostcnsibly following him ON the evening
of October %
In the rooms the two men had occu-
pied were found two stamps correspond
ing to the labels on two vnliscS shipped
to st. Louis from st. Charles, which
proved to be the baggage OF the men
who had procured the skin at 81.
Charles. Then Il watch was set over
Witrock and Viewers places in Chicago,
and five weeks ago daughter and son
OF Mrs. Berry came to Chicago identified
Weaver as one Of the men who had
rOomcd Mt their house. Oscar Cook, n
close trlc nd of WitrOck, was found to
have gone to Kansas City, where he
lived at the house OF q woman named
Cox, bat frequently left the city, his alb
scncc being invariably followed by the
appearance of ono of the ",Jim Cum
mings" lottcrs. \ detective ingratintcd
himself with Cook and accompanied him
TO gambling houses in the guisc OF n
friend, Cook always having plcAty of
money. The lookout for Witrock was
kept up in Chicago without avail until
last Tuesday night when another
'shadow," whom the detectives did not
know, and large man looking like
Witrock entered W'itrock's residence,
No. 10 Lincoln street Kinney was run
ming the coal yard for him, and having
gone to Quincy detective managed to
see there telegram to Kinney announc-
ing the return of Witrock to Chicago, !
and signed by the lattcr's wife, Rose.
FINDING. MAN AND MONEY
When Kinney returned to Chicago he |
and Weaver were seen to cautiously en- |
ter the Witrock House, the blinds OF |
which were constantly drawn, although
lights could be seen inside. On Friday |
morning the mysterious shadow came
out of the WitrOck House, as did also